Two New Landmarks In My Former Home Town

Yes, Orlando is making news again, but not in a way that makes it look good around here. First, it is the first city in the nation to name a road after the current chief executive: President Barack Obama Parkway. Never mind that he has only been in office for seventeen months, and hasn’t really done anything yet as president that will make people remember him in a positive light. No doubt he got the honor because somebody is hopeful for the future, like when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Anyway, I understand the road is in the Metrowest area, near Universal Studios and Windermere. That puts it on the opposite side of town from where I used to live, in the suburb of Winter Park. I’m reminded of a road near me, former County Highway 427 in Seminole County, that around 2003 was renamed Ronald Reagan Blvd., but at least that happened long after his presidency ended. Michelle Malkin has a story about the new parkway on her blog:

I sense the hand of Buddy Dyer in this. Is he still mayor of Orlando? He got elected shortly before I moved out of Florida, but I got the distinct impression that he’s very liberal. Maybe Alan Grayson, the Moonbat congressman elected to represent Orlando in 2008, was involved in getting the road funded and built, too.

The other story involves Windermere, the suburb mentioned above. Windermere is probably the most exclusive community in Orange County. It’s not in a good location, unless you want to be near the theme parks, but the Orlando Magic and Tiger Woods are included among the people who live in its ritzy houses. Now they’ve got a mansion so big that it is being called the largest single-family home in America, and it has earned the nickname “Versailles.” it is being offered by a realtor for $75 million on an “as is” basis, because construction is not finished.

I know Versailles is the name of the palace of the king of France; guess I’ll have to get used to pronouncing it “Vehr-sye” again. Here in Kentucky is a town named Versailles, which is just west of Lexington, but the locals pronounce it phonetically, so it comes out “Vrrr-sails.” In fact, if you pronounce the name correctly, the way the French do, it’s a good sign to the locals that you’re from somewhere else.